Method of producing formaldehyde.



G. FERNEKES. METHOD OF PRODUCING FORMALDEHYDE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYll, 1912.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

WITNESS-ES I INVENTOR 'oNrr D SIATES PATENT ornicn,

, GUSTAVE FERNEKES, OF WEST ELIZABETH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T JOHN A.

SIN'EE, OF WEST ELIZABETH, PENNSYLVANIA. i

' METHOD or rnonucme FORMALDEHYDE.

osers r7.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Se t. 17, 1912.

(lontinuationvof application Serial No. 669,441, filed February 18, 1911. This application filed May 11,

\J 1912. Serial No. 696,711.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, GUSTAVE FERNEKE a resident of West Elizabeth, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsjof Producing Formaldehyde, of which the following is a specification.

The invention of this application .(a continuation of my application filed February 18, 1911, Serial'No. 609,441) relates to the production of formaldehyde by the oxidation of \a stream or column ofair and" methane mixed in proper proportions or a portion of such' stream or column, without employing either catalyzing or absorb- I mg agents. The formaldehyde-producing stream-is enveloped to exclude outside air and is heated suflicien'tlyto cause the necessary oxidation, such oxidation being arrested before it proceeds beyond the formaldehyde-forming stage. The formaldehyde and other-substances resulting from such incomplete oxidation may be separated by a process of absorption or in any other suit able manner,

3 j Ifhe producing stream of mixed air and gas may be variously envelopedeto exclude the outer air and to attain the requisite tem perature. The mode'herein disclosed utilizes the outer portion of the stream'or column as an envelop for the inner form'alde 'hyde-producing portion thereof, such outer portion being aflame and generating the necessary' oxidizing heat for the cooler inner poi-tier; and at the'same time excludin the outer air from the latter which if admitted would cause excessive oxidation and conver- \sion of the entire stream or column into car bon dioxid, water, formic acid, etc., and there would be no appreciable yield of for .maldehyde. A Bunsen burner or other air and as mixing means which will discharge a str am of mixed airand gas into a cir-- cumsc ibed flame space is well 'suited for the purpose, with means for bafliing the m- I flner f0 maldehyde-producing portion of the streambe fpre oxidation thereof proceeds too far, and wlth means for cooling and for removing the formaldehyde fnom the flame i space.

It is knownthat the flame-inclosed area of a burning stream or column of mixed an and gas issuing from a Bunsen burner or other source consists of at least three zones which extend outwardly for a distance from such source, all of which zones merge or disappear at the normal extremityof the flame N01 inwardly from such point. ln'that portlon .of the flame length in which the three zones are defined there is an outside flamebafile, check, or cool the entire zone-com-' prised column or stream before. oxidation can proceed beyond the formaldehyde-producing 'oint, otherwise substantially com? plete oxidation would result and the purpose of the invention would be defeated.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a form of apparatus for practising the invention, Figure 1 being a vertical section of the combustion chamber and its inclosing jacket, and Fig. 2 a sectional plan on line 2'--2 of Fig. 1'. a Referring to the drawings, the combustion chamber is preferably formed with a solid or imperforate bottom 2, anda closed top 3 of metal or other refractory material. The chamber here shown, is circular with its side wall 4 formed of an open screen or gauze which is reinforced by a skeleton frame '5,

w1re mesh, such as copper or other metal be ing Well suited for the purpose. Mixed air 'exterior of the chamber, the burner being equipped with a suitable regulating valve 7. 8 is the gas inlet pipe, and 9 the valve controlling the gas supply. The burner and valves 7 z and 9 are of usual and well known c'onstruction, l I

The combustion chamber is incased in a jacket 10 provided with air inlets '11, the latter being preferably in the plane of the lower portion of the chamber. Pipe 13 extends from the iacket hood 12 for conduct separating them, well known in the art.

The flaming stream or column of mixed air and gas is pro ected agamst top plate before it attains its full length and before the zones hcreinbefore referred to merge or disappear, with the result'that the entire stream or column is cooled before excessive oxidation can occur. The exposed top surface of platemaintains it relatively cool, and if desired it may be cooled artificially by any suitable means, also it may be formed of material that is a ready conductor and radiator of heat the eflect'of which will be to minimize its temperature. In addition to cooling the column or stream, plate 3 deflects the formaldehyde and other substances laterally through screen 4 which still further cools them and removes them from the flame space or area and prevents burning or flashing.

I claim.

1. The method of producing formaldehyde consisting in heating a stream containing air and methane to formaldehyde-producing temperature with the outer air excluded from the inner part of the stream, and baffiing the stream with a heat conducting medium. v

2. The method of producing formaldehyde consisting in heating, a stream containing air and methane to formaldehyde-producing temperature, and bafliing and cooling the stream before oxidation thereof proceeds beyond the formaldehyde-producing stage.

3. The method of producing formaldehyde consisting in producing a-stream containing air and methane With' the stream consisting of an inner part and an outer part and with the outer part forming an envelop for the inner part and excluding outer air therefrom, heating the outer part of the stream to ignition temperature and thereby oxidizing the inner part thereof to formaldehyde and e'oolingboth portions of the stream' before oxidation of the inner portion thereof can proceed beyond the formaldehyde-producing stage. i

4. The method of producing formaldehyde consisting in battling flaming air and methane With'a heat conducting medium before they are fully consumed, and removing the unconsumed substances from the flame.

The method of producing formaldehyde consisting in burning air and methane in a flame-contining space, battling the flaming air. and methane before they are fully oxidized, and removing the unconsumed substances from the flame-confining space.

6. The method of producing formaldehyde eousisting in sustaining a flame by a' stream containing\air and methane with the exterior of the\ flame areainwardly from the flame extremityof higher temperature than its interior, battling the stream before the air and methane of the inner portion of the stream are fully oxidized, and removing the unconsumed substances from the flame.

7. Themethod of producing formaldehyde I consisting in battling a flaming stream containing air and methane before they are fully consumed, oxidizing to formaldehyde the formaldehyde-producing portion of the stream, and removing the formaldehyde and other unconsumed substances from the flame.

8. The method of producing formaldehyde consistingin battling a flaming stream containing air and methane before the substances are fully consumed with a portion of the stream relatively cool when baflied, oxidizing to formaldehyde the relatively cool portion-of the stream, and removing the formaldehyde and other unconsumed substances from the flame.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE rnnnnirn's. Witnesses: I

J. M. Nnsm'r, F. E. Garrnnn. 

